Ulcerative Colitis Treatment

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic disease that affects the digestive tract. This is often categorized as an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as it causes inflammation and sores or ulcers in the lining of the colon and rectum. These ulcers are formed as the inflammation destroys the normal cells of the innermost lining of the large intestine and rectum. Ulcerative colitis treatment largely depends on the severity of its symptoms.

Causes and Symptoms

The exact cause behind ulcerative colitis is not clearly known. Various research studies have come up with different theories. Many scientists believe that it is triggered by some bacteria or virus in the digestive tract. Then the immune system reacts to that infection abnormally, causing inflammation of the colon. Another theory is that it is an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks its healthy cells by mistake. In some people, it has been found to be hereditary. One thing is for sure that it is not caused by mental stress or any type of food.

The two typical symptoms are bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Other mild symptoms that are often found are feeling of urgency but inability to have a bowel movement, nausea, loss of appetite, fatigue, weight loss, frequent fever, etc. If it affects small children, then it can inhibit their normal growth. When it turns serious, then the symptoms can be seen in other parts of the body as well. Arthritis and eye problems can be caused by the inflammatory effect of the immune system. Besides, these patients may get other health problems like liver disease and osteoporosis.

Medicinal Treatment

Diagnosis is slightly difficult as its symptoms are very similar to that of Crohn's disease. Physical examination, medical history and reports of laboratory tests such as blood test, stool sample test and colonoscopy are taken into account to confirm the diagnosis. There are many different treatment options. In every individual case, it is selected on the basis of the symptoms observed in the patients. For mild to moderate symptoms, aminosalicylates medicines are prescribed to reduce the inflammation. It can be administered orally or through enema or as a suppository. It is accompanied by other medicines for getting relief from pain, diarrhea and other such symptoms.

If aminosalicylates fails to bring about any improvement in the condition, then steroids are used. It is administered in the same way but has a much stronger effect on the symptoms. However, it should not be used for a long time. When patients do not respond to these medicines, then immunosuppressant medicines are used to bring down the inflammation by influencing the immune system. It has to be taken orally. However, it works very slowly and may take months before any result can be seen. In severe cases, where excessive bleeding takes place and there is a risk of colon cancer, surgical option may have to be availed for the removal of colon and rectum.

Natural Treatment

As ulcerative colitis treatment need to be carried out for a long time and there is always a chance of recurrence of the problem, many people opt for natural remedies. A few of them have been discussed below:

Probiotics: These are nothing but friendly or helpful bacteria which are found in the gut. They are available in capsules, liquid and powdered forms. When taken orally, they can check the harmful bacteria that are involved with the disease and provide protection to the lining of the colon.

Fish Oil: The omega-3 fatty acids present in fish oil have excellent anti-inflammatory properties. So, it can be used to bring down the inflammation caused by ulcerative colitis.

Aloe Vera Gel: The natural anti-inflammatory properties of fresh aloe vera gel is found to have excellent effect on the chronic bowel inflammation. It has to be taken daily for best results.

In order to obtain best results from these treatments, they should be accompanied by a proper diet. An ideal diet is the one which does not have any such foods that can trigger flare-up of the bowel. It includes foods that cause gas, high fiber foods, fruits and in some cases dairy products. Avoid these. Besides, fruit juices, caffeine, carbonated beverages and alcohol need to be eliminated from the diet as well.